From Stranger Things to Breaking Bad, parents are turning to their TV for inspiration
Picking a baby name is no small feat and anyone who’s ever scrolled through their notes app with a disgusted look on their face knows all too well the feeling of the names they have written down not being ‘the one’. However, streaming services seem to be helping parents, with many taking inspiration from their favourite shows.
From Stranger Things to Breaking Bad, parents are settling on names which many have never heard of before. Yet, at the same time, old-school classics are making a comeback with Dorothy, Guinevere and Alexandra for girls re-entering the chat, while Abel, Arthur and Finn continue to charm parents when it comes to boys.
So which TV favourites are inspiring new arrival names this year? Here are the names that are topping the list.
Baby names inspired by popular Netflix series
- Walter – The main character from Breaking Bad
- Jesse – One of Walter’s past students
- Skyler – The wife of Walter. You could also spell it like Skylar
- Hank – Henry R. “Hank” Schrader is Skyler’s brother-in-law
- Saul – Another character from Breaking Bad
- Eleven – One of the lead characters from Stranger Things
- Dustin – A member of the same crew as Eleven
- Nancy – Yep, it’s another character from Stranger Things
- Frank/Francis – If you like the House of Cards, you’ll know this main character’s name
- Zoe – Another name from the same show, this time, a great one for girls
- Doug – And it’s another one for the House of Cards
- Remy – The former Chief of Staff for Frank Underwood
- Pablo – As in Escobar, is the main character in Narcos
- Javier – Best described as Pablo’s counterpart
- Tata – Pablo’s wife
- Piper – It may have finished a while ago, but the character from Orange is the New Black is still a popular one
- Alexandra (Alex for short) – And finally, this name is an inmate of Piper’s at Litchfield Penitentiary which could be used for boys and girls
These Netflix names come just in time with the streaming giant set to release the final season of Stranger Things next month. Part 1, featuring episodes 1–4, will premiere in the UK on November 27. Part 2, which includes episodes 5, 6, and 7, is scheduled to arrive on December 26, followed by the grand finale, episode 8, debuting on January 1, 2026. You can sign up to the Stranger Things Season 5 Premiere Live Event here.
Stranger Things series 5 – full list of episode titles and release date
- The Crawl – November 27
- The Vanishing Of…. – November 27
- The Turnbow Trap – November 27
- Sorcerer – November 27
- Shock Jock – December 26
- Escape From Camazotz – December 26
- The Bridge – December 26
- The Rightside Up – January 1
